Dis movie remind Monster of time me, Big Bird, and Grover attend furry convention (Why not? We furry…AND fuzzy!) figuring it be great opportunity to network wit other muppets. But, sadly, no aktual muppets in attendance – just bunch of frisky imposters. At one point, horny wookie chase monster into utility closet and me have to crawl thru vent to eskape. Me lose guest badge and pants and not able to get back in, so miss parade, furry rave, and motivational speech by H.R. Pufnstuf. Big Bird get into fistfight wit Magilla Gorilla impersonator and spend night in jail. Grover bang Candy Kong. Anyhoo…
Galaxy Quest either a love letter, or scathing editorial, of SF t.v. fandom. Which way you interpret film will dictate your response. Monster not a huge scifi fan. When me see police box, me not automatically tink time travel device but good place for stacking policemen or emergency porta-potty. And while me not know able to tell difference between a Minosian and a Mintakan, me familiar enough wit likes of Dr. Spock, Bubba Fat, and Lando Kardassian to get humor of de movie and NOT be offended.
Movie begin at fan convention for much-loved SF series, Galaxy Quest dat similar to t.v. version of Phantom Menace, though not as cheesy. All former cast present for panel and autograph session including douchebag former lead. But science fiction becomes science fact when former t.v. Commander get enlisted to help group of aliens resist machinations of evil lizard beings. And before you can say “Grabthar’s Hammer”, he be joined by rest of his reluctant co-stars in an epic space-faring adventure.
De movie poke fun at scifi t.v. tropes as our fish-out-of-water heroes assume de personas of deir fiktional counterparts, referencing an old t.v. show dat deir alien allies believe to be aktual “historical records”. It all lead to aktion, adventure, a surprising amount of pathos (Yes, he be one of the Tree Musketeers!), and lots of laughs.
It culminate in a thrilling albeit incredibly stoopid climax involving highly convenient time travel. Boo!
Still a very good, very funny movie dat give Monster newfound respekt for you pasty-faced geeks.
Verdikt: Me want to rate it even higher, but dat time travel twist at end be a disappointing cop-out.
Rating: 8.5 chocolate chippee cookies.
Cookie liked it! He Really, REALLY liked it!
Good job cookie. This is quite an entertaining movie.
i hope this works better than the last time i tried to post a video here;
yay! it did! here, have a (on topic) demotiovational-style poster;
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x40/trek-fan/trek%20posters/gw204-parody_trek.jpg
Yay Cookie! Great review. 😀
Galaxy Quest is a hilarious film. It’s the wonderful little details that work so well, like the room of spinning metal things that serves no actual purpose, yet it’s there because it was there in the TV show, or the bomb count-down that always stops at 2 seconds because that’s what it did in the show! Plus I love how nonchalant Tony Shalhoub’s character is about everything that’s going on, especially when everyone freaks out when they transport to the ship for the first time, but it doesn’t bother him in the slightest.
It plays wonderfully on the various tropes of the 60’s Star Trek (and shows like it) and the whole convention scene. No wonder a recent poll rated Galaxy Quest quite highly in the list of best Star Trek films. 🙂
This film had some great talent in it, including Tony Shalhoub who later played Monk in the Monk detective series, and Enrico Colantoni who later stared in Flashpoint for 6 years.
“machinations” – That’s a big word, Cookie. Have you been reading Sherlock Hemlock’s thesaurus again?
I love this movie! Another one on my annual watch list. Not much to say about it, really, as it’s damn near perfect!
Cookie, you could argue that the time travel twist at the end is contrived but in the context of the ship’s technology being completely based off the TV show it actually works. That’s exactly the sort of plot device that would be employed in an ’80s Sci-Fi TV show.
Joe, I notice you’ve recently read “The Best Time Travel Stories Of All Time.” I’m a sucker for time travel but haven’t really read many stories about it. Would you recommend this book?
This movie was the perfect marriage of fan fiction with parodying of one of the most iconic sci fi shows of all time. I look at it as a love letter to fans, for the mocking is gentle, and hey, the fans come through in the end. Great film, and I can see why some folks wanted it rated as the best Star Trek movie to date(sorry, don’t have the link handy)
Haha! Look at all those nerds (geeks?) at that convention! What a bunch of… Oh. Wait. Nevermind.
Actually, I really enjoyed this movie! I never thought it so much mocked the genre and its fans (well, maybe gently), but was more a tribute to them. It could so easily have gone the other way and been pretty mean-spirited. As fluffy as the movie basically is, I think that takes a fair amount of skill to pull off.
I especially loved the touches like the “clompers” or whatever they were called, about which Gwen says that they make no logical sense whatsoever. (Hang that lantern!) It made me think of all those stupid plot devices in so many of the superhero movies that we’ve screened that also make no sense.
Normally, I would have a bunch of nit picks about these movies, but I was actually have too much fun watching this one to think of any!
As far as the time travel reset goes, I took that as a little “tribute” to the often oh-so-convenient resets that are probably too common in the sci-fi and fantasy genres. So, I think it might actually have been intentional, in which case makes the movie even more clever.
Since I can’t think of anything I would change, I’d have to give it a 10.
High There,
Galaxy Quest est un pur délice! Vraiment très bon !
Nothing will ever make me like this movie, not even Cookie giving it a good review.
You are wrong with the time travel thing Cookie. They dont taking the easy way they ironize about the SF series taking the easy way. 😆
When is time travel ever inconvenient?
This is the movie that made me love Alan Rickman and Sam Rockwell. I gotta disagree with Cookie on the time travel; it’s the perfect trope for GQ, and if it was good enough for Star Trek and X-Men then why not use it to defeat the villain who captured their females for his own demented purposes?
I love how adorably serious Corbin Bleu was in his role as young Laredo; it was touching to see how he took to play acting as the ship’s pilot and reminded me that kids love these shows without criticism, they don’t snark about the CGI or plot holes.
I’m so glad Cookie “gets” this movie. I can safely say that if you consider yourself a SF fan in any way, shape, or form, and don’t find this movie entertaining, at least to some small degree(even if it’s proof of plausible deniability), you don’t have much of a sense of humor. If you can’t step back and look at how either you can easily see yourself attending that con for GQ(much like most of us would for SG if there was one close by) or watching the movie in the role of a SF “outsider”, you need to check yourself. This is a great movie and gets a LOT of stuff right.
I agree with shinyhula, too. Alan Rickman was fantastic in this movie. I already liked him before as the consummate “bad guy”, but his part where he consoles that dying alien guy who was his biggest “fan” was really special. A fabulous movie moment. I also love how this movie solidified Sam Rockwell’s future comedic role career. His Zaphod Beeblebrox was hilarious and quite enjoyable. Then he goes and does Moon. Superb movie and another great role for him.
I wonder if either Cookie or Joe has ever seen Fanboys? Great, funny movie! Don’t know that it’d really fit into Cookie’s review lineup, but still a good watch.
-Mike A.
I brought this movie on a visit to one of my friend’s house and he laughed all the way through it. This guy doesn’t like ANY sci-fi but he liked this movie.
I’m glad Cookie didn’t shred this film but even if he had, I’d still like the movie. I agree about the Omega Device but then I’ve always despised the co-out of time travel. Another co-out is “a ghost did it”. I really hate it when the writer has all this outrageous stuff and then writes it off, without any logic, as a ghost thing.
BTW, who is housesitting for Sis while she’s in Vancouver?
This is a 10 cookie movie, with giant dark chocolatey chips!!!
It’s one of my favorite films of all time. 🙂
Side note – Mr. Dasism for the day: He asked for a ‘bean pole hammer’. He meant ‘ball peen’.
😀
das
Really? And this from the guy who wrote The Last Man. 😉
das
Anytime this movie is on I can watch it, easy, it is fun, and maybe makes light of of the sci fyie stuff, but in a fun way. Tim Allen reminded me of another actor in this kinda roll, still poking fun at him, but enjoyable. I love Tony Shaloub, (drove me crazy as monk) and Sam Rockwell, (cowboys and aliens), these guys can do a bang up job entertaining me, I should look as good as Sigourney,,and now I can go back and count how many times I said fun, but I need to go now, its lightning and thunder here.. cookies for everyone!
@archersangel….nice vid
Galaxy Quest is in my short list of All Time Favs. Watch it every time it is telecast or find the DVDs if I need it in the background.
Loved Alan Rickman – like Mike A said, his character was super cool when otherwise he rolled his eyes at the aliens. By Grapthar’s hammer, I will avenge you!!
Did have to feel sorry for him because the Historical Records showed his “native food” as some creepy crawly things instead of the steak that the Commander had.
The ending was a bit “easy,” but, let’s face it, there was not much else they could do cause they HAD to end on the note that the missions would continue. And, all the fans at the convention needed to see them return.
AND….they had to validate the faith the kids had in them especially when the Commander sneered at one for being a fan boy!
Who did they need to help them get home. The FANS! Yay.
thanks….loved to “have to” watch this for you Cookie!!
I give 12 macarons.
Joe –
This Saturday (Aug 24), my wife and I will be in Vancouver, for the first time.
In your humble opinion, what would be the 2 or 3 “must do / must see” things while we are in town?
One of my favorites, Cookie! Justin Long also went on to do some amazing things. I think I mentioned it in a previous blog, but George Takei said this movie is exactly how the Star Trek Original Series actors were at conventions. Also the villan, Robin Sachs, recently passed away in February. He was also in Babylon 5 as several characters and also did many voices of the video games I love to play. I am so glad you liked this one Cookie. I’m sorry I didn’t get to participate again, especially to one of my all-time favorites. Every now and then Jeff and I will recite dialogue to this movie, “I’m NOT saying that STUPID line.”